Pope Sixtus IV

Pope Sixtus IV (21 July 1414-12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 9 August 1471 to 12 August 1484, succeeding Pope Paul II and preceding Pope Innocent VIII. Pope Sixtus was infamous for his nepotism and for his involvement in the Pazzi Conspiracy in Florence, but a positive contribution of his was the creation of the Sistine Chapel.

Biography
Francesco della Rovere was born in Celle Ligure, Republic of Genoa in 1414, and he joined the Franciscan Order as a young man. He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Pavia before becoming a lecturer, and he became Minister General of the Franciscan Order in 1464. In 1467, he became Cardinal of San Pietro in Vincoli, and he was elected Pope after the death of Pope Paul II in 1471. He was convinced to support the Medici bank by the Florentine banker Giovanni Auditore da Firenze, and he gave the lordship of Imola in Romagna to his nephew, Girolamo Riario. On 27 December 1476, he was convinced by Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia to support the Pazzi Conspiracy in Florence, and he offered to contribute military support as long as no blood was shed in the seizure of power. In 1478, he authorized the Spanish Inquisition, and he also authorized Portugal to acquire slaves from West Africa. He was a patron of the arts, building the Sistine Chapel. He died in 1484.